NORTH Melbourne skipper Jack Ziebell has been cleared to play the remainder of the season, with medical specialists confident the midfielder is at little risk of further damaging his injured left foot.
Ziebell has missed two of the Kangaroos' past three games and will require surgery on his foot at the end of the season.
North coach Brad Scott was reluctant to offer specific details of his skipper's injury after last Sunday's loss to Hawthorn but, at the time, was hopeful Ziebell could play the season's final two rounds without aggravating the issue.
The Kangaroos sought further specialist advice on Ziebell's foot this week and received positive news.
"We expect Jack Ziebell to be right and he'll train fully today. It's good to get him back," Scott told reporters on Friday.
"We actually sought a second opinion, and the second opinion was exactly the same as the first.
"We're really confident that there's very little risk – I mean there's always a risk in any contact sport – but the surgeon's advice is that he's right to play, and it's pain-permitting, so that rarely stops Jack."
Second-year tall Ben McKay was named in North's squad of 25 for Sunday's clash against St Kilda after recent good form with Werribee in a new role as a key defender.
Scott said North had yet to confirm whether McKay would become the club's 11th 2017 debutant on Sunday.
"He's played some really good footy down back the last couple of weeks after a really frustrating year with injury. We'd certainly like to get a look at him," he said.
Jarrad Waite will miss his third game in a row with a calf injury this round, but Scott hopes the veteran spearhead will play in round 23 against the Brisbane Lions and has instructed him to do everything he can to prove his fitness for that game.
"If he's right that will be great, but if not it means that we're not slowing rehabbing something into the pre-season," Scott said.
Asked whether his comments suggested Waite, who comes out of contract at the end of the season, would play on in 2018, Scott was non-committal.
"I probably jumped the gun there, didn't I? I think his form this year when he's played has been outstanding and I still think he has got a lot to offer, but there's also a lot of water to go under the bridge and we're far from confirming who's going to be here next year and who's not," the coach said.
"There's obviously a lot of mechanisms (for player movement) with free agency and trading and all those things, so unfortunately for those players it's still fairly fluid.
"But we know what Jarrad is capable of at his best and I think he still has something left in him."
Majak Daw was on crutches on Friday with his left foot in plaster after having "a minor procedure" that ended his season.
"We think it's not going to impact his pre-season at all, so while it's disappointing not to have him this week and next week it shouldn't impact next season at all," Scott said.
Scott was "more hopeful than certain" forwards Mason Wood (calf) and Corey Wagner (ankle) would return against the Lions.
Wood has been sidelined since the round 15 loss to Gold Coast, while Wagner last played in round 17 against Port Adelaide.
